The North Dakota State Capitol grounds turn into a starting line again this weekend, as the Bismarck Marathon brings seven races through downtown and across the Missouri River on Saturday, Sept. 19, according to the race's own website, thebismarckmarathon.com.
The full weekend runs from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, but race day itself is Saturday, with a lineup that includes the full marathon, a marathon relay, the Essentia Health Half Marathon, the Thrivent 10K, the Scheels 5K, the "BisBark" dog race and a kids' mini marathon, per the race's schedule of events. Start times, according to that schedule, are staggered through the morning: the full marathon, relay and half marathon go off at 7:30 a.m., the Scheels 5K at 7:40 a.m., and the Thrivent 10K at 7:50 a.m. The BisBark 4K follows at 11 a.m., with the kids' mini marathon capping the day at noon.
Every race starts and finishes on the Capitol grounds at 600 East Boulevard Avenue, the race's website and North Dakota's tourism office, ndtourism.com, both confirm. The half marathon and full marathon are USATF-certified Boston Marathon qualifiers, and the half marathon's route crosses the Missouri River before runners finish back on the Capitol lawn, according to thebismarckmarathon.com. Every finisher, at every distance, takes home a 2026 medal shaped like the state of North Dakota, with a blank line on the back to write in a finish time, the race's site says.
For anyone just trying to get around town Saturday morning, the race's official guide notes that 6th Street from Boulevard Avenue to Avenue A will be closed from 7:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. BismarckLocal was not able to independently confirm this closure with the City of Bismarck's public works department or police as of publication; residents should also check the city's own closure notices at bismarcknd.gov ahead of Saturday. Organizers describe the rest of the course as not fully closed to traffic, with only limited traffic control, so drivers and runners alike are asked to watch for each other on open roadways. Residents should check thebismarckmarathon.com's race guide for the full course map ahead of Saturday, since other intersections may see rolling closures as the field moves through.
The full marathon and marathon relay are already sold out, though the half marathon, 10K, 5K and other events remained open as of this week, according to Running USA, an industry trade outlet that cited race organizers on this year's field drawing runners from dozens of states. Spectators are asked to avoid flying drones anywhere near the course and to plan ahead for where to meet their runners, with the Capitol grounds and the nearby North Dakota Heritage Center among the suggested reunion points, per the race's guide.
